When considering music lessons always look for qualified, experienced instructors. Our staff have their professional music degrees, are licensed with the state of Colorado (in Music Education) and have taught over 60,000 lessons since 1994.

Any serious teacher has a degree or is currently studying to get their degree. It demonstrates the basic fundamental principle that they are committed to being excellent musically and they will have a demonstrated proven track record that qualifies them to even offer services as a teacher. Our teachers have taken the time to invest in their musical ability.

Look for a studio that specializes in teaching only. Most music stores will have a teaching studio tacked on with unqualified, inexperienced staff who teach to pay some extra bills. At RockStarzUSA ALL we do is teach. For us teaching is not an afterthought but our primary focus.

Are they safe? We have completed background checks on all staff to ensure they are professional-and to ensure any family member is safe in taking lessons with RockStarzUSA. Our studios have an open door policy and large unobstructed windows so parents or family members can have 100% complete peace of mind.

Look for 3rd party verification & endorsement. We have almost 750 facebook fans, and positive reviews found online. Our customers are our greatest asset. We would not be the largest private music studio & recording facility in Colorado Springs without being customer focused!

Does the business have some measure of demonstrating their integrity in the community? Everyone speaks of intergity today-some companies advertise or name their business with such words. However we allow our customers another unique snapshot so you can see who you are dealing with. We have been on eBay for 12 years and have 100% feedback with over 1,000 transactions in buying & selling. If you review our feedback under the name rockstarzusa you can see many times we are thanked personally instead of the usual nondescript feedback.

As you consider all these aspects we are sure you will find RockStarzUSA.com offers not only the best Guitar Piano, Bass Drum, Voice & Band lessons, but we are the most FUN too!

RockStarzUSA – We share a similar heritage in that we both grew up in Brisbane, Australia. I actually was part of that whole scene back then working at Ellaways Music (which is now one of the largest music stores in Australia) before emigrating to the U.K. As a young musician did you ever hang around ‘MusicWorx’, ‘Allens’, ‘Palings’ ‘The Australian Academy of Music’ in the late 80′s early 90′s? 

DAN – I did work experience at Musicians Pro Shop in 88′ but I was on the south side and didn’t spend that much time in town. I left Brisbane in 89′ and moved to Mackay to study at the QCM then moved back to where I played in bands for a couple of years before I moved to Sydney. Most of my Australian musical career happened in Sydney where I stared playing with Max Sharam for a number of years. I did a brief stint with Wendy Matthews and a bunch of others but Max was my main gig. Travelled a bit playing in bands in Asia before I met my wife and we moved to England which was Jan 2002.

RockStarzUSA - Could you provide us with the background in how you came together with Dave Mapleston in 2004 to develop your flagship Pro-14

DAN – I was very much into technology as a kid, my first real rig was Roland GP-8 which i got as soon as it came out. I loved being able to program a sound and just have it ready to recall at any time and thought that pedals are quite backwards but i was always searching for a better sound. I had a revelation when I heard a guitar player with a very simple setup, couple of pedals and an old Fender Twin who sounded absolutely amazing. After this I started working with Paul Decomo, a producer in Sydney who bought boxes of vintage effects pedals into the studio with him for me to play with. I was absolutely hooked and immediately began hoarding classic analog effects, but the more I got into them the more I noticed that all was not sweetness and light. Tone suck and tap dancing were my biggest gripes, so I started working on a way to get rid of this. I started studying electronics with the single aim of being able to produce such a system, but I reached my limitations so stared looking for an engineer to help. Must have talked to about 20 engineers, no-one gave me the time of day, but eventually got hold of Dave. Turned out that he played a bit of guitar, so we had a crossover when we communicated, we could express properly our ideas and the other guy could understand. Dave loved the idea, loved the sounds I was getting from my old boxes so we got a plan together which eventually materialised into the Pro-14.

RockStarzUSA - TheGigRig brand could arguably be considered the greatest ‘swiss army knife’ company for musicians today, did you & Dave initially dream big initially with a plan or model to attempt to develop TheGigRig to where it enjoys it’s current success today?

DAN – Yeah, it was that big dream that has kept us going all this time. Thing was, it took such a long time to get the unit designed, it was a real labour of love, but after all the effort it had materialised in my hands and was ready to rock, but at that time I didn’t have the first clue about business, marketing, manufacturing, so it really was only the very start of the journey. When the unit came out, it was the first of its kind, so there was a bit of education needed for guitar players to understand what it was and what it does. I thought we’d be inundated, but the start was slow to say the least. But we knew we had something really special, so we persisted, and now we have a thriving small business that we’re very proud of.

TheGigRig.com PRO-14 Pedal/Amp Switcher

RockStarzUSA - Can you encapsulate that moment where you thought ‘hang on a minute, this thing is starting to seriously catch on’?

DAN – The first person I ever showed the original Pro-14 to was a guitarist called Mark Johns, an incredible guitarist who at the time was playing for Ray Davis. He flipped and bought the first unit making him our first ever customer. Mark remains to this day one of my closest friends, and that first unit is still on his board after a thousand plus gigs and sessions. That was a great moment; the next was an unexpected Skype call from Rob Harris from Jamiroquai who also continues to use his GigRig as does Paul Turner, Jamiroquai’s bass player. I’ve always known that it was special, and having guitar players of this calibre embrace TheGigRig was fantastic.

RockStarzUSA - Do your innovative ideas initially stem from a problem solving or new paradigm perspective?

DAN – Its all about problem solving. I’ve been a professional guitar player for a long time, and being a tech head and a pedal geek i’ve always seen the technical issues that i’ve come up against as a challenge.

So problem solving is very much at the heart, but sometimes the adventure is identifying the problem. With the Z Cable we knew that there was a better way to interface pedals or any low impedance effect devices into valve amps, but it was identifying the factors that make the guitar to amp relationship so dynamic. We spent months in the lab, and thousands of pounds on overpriced coffee, but we cracked it. That was a hugely exciting moment, actually measuring this interplay between the coil of the guitar and the cable and how those factors work with the amp. So we created a device that sits at the end of your pedal board and re-establishes that dynamic interplay.

RockStarzUSA - Are there any new products that you can reveal publicly that will be forthcoming shortly in 2012?

DAN – The QuarterMaster will be out in the next couple of weeks, which is hugely exciting. It a low footprint true bypass strip looper that uses out relay switching technology and is also modular. You can order a bunch of different modules including A/B/Y outputs, stereo loops, volume boost loops for compensating the low output of vintage effects, tap tempo, remote switches, master bypass etc. So you can order a completely bespoke custom strip looper that will work the way you want it to.

We are also in the process of moving to a much larger premises where we’ll be doing custom board builds and pedal board workshops so that is going to be a blast!

RockStarzUSA - You’re still highly active musically, with your role with ‘Tin Spirits’ currently. Worldwide, musicians are trying to create art during a time of unrivalled change and uncertainty. While artists will always have an internal drive or need to create art, what is your take on the music industry today, and where do you think it’s all headed?

DAN – I think we are in one of the most exciting times musically in recent history. Due to the available technology we have easy access to so much music so for a kid who is into music he/she can just sit in front of youtube and listen to all sorts of genres from all over the world. Also, this notion of getting your band signed is becoming less and less important which i think is a very good thing. Its not so much about mass appeal anymore. It doesn’t matter if its techno thrash or hungarian nose flutes, if you play from the heart and if your music has an ordiance, you can access them with technology, and you don’t need a million pounds to do it. Tin Spirits supported Marillion in 2011 at there convention in Holland and at there Christmas gigs in Birmingham and London. These guys are their own record company, they sell out multi thousand seat venues, and have a loyal fan base who they keep in touch with using social media etc, and they do it all themselves. They are making more money now than they ever did in their record company no.1 ht single days, and its all on their own terms. How many artists who have had no.1 hits have just faded into insignificance?  I think any young bands looking at making a career in music really need to look at these guys and their achievements. Its inspiring.

Dan's handiwork powering yet another rig....

RockStarzUSA - Could you detail the most important aspects of your live/recording setup for us?

DAN – My main guitars are my Tele and 61’ SG Les Paul Junior. 80% of the time its the Tele, I just keep coming back to it, so I figure, why fight it?

My effects are, shall we say, numerous. In Tin Spirits i do a lot of the textural stuff, so lots of delays with flanging and compression. It changes on a week to week basis but there are a few standards on there that have stood the test of time. My original script dyncomp from 1976. I think if you play Telecaster, then thats as good as it gets for compression. Then my LazyJ Cruiser, Lovepedal Eternity, Plosive Treble Booster cover my different my different levels of gain. Modulation is my Analog Man Bi-Chorus, MXR Phase 45 (mine’s a real one from the late 70′s but the custom shop re-issue of these is excellent), and the Hartman Flanger. If you like the Electric Mistress, then you must try the Hartman. Delays are generally an old Memory Man, Providence Chrono Delay, and the Strymon Timeline, but I also use tape delays on the odd occasion that my tape machines are in working order. My main amp is my LazyJ J20. Hands down best amp I’ve ver heard. I have a bunch of old Voxes and Fenders as well as a hand built 18watt Marshall plexi type amplifier built by Mallard amps in the UK, and its sounds amazing, but these amps really only get any use in the studio nowadays. I get everything I need live from the J20.

RockStarzUSA - If you were to be placed in that typical hypothetical situation of one amp, one guitar a couple of pedals, what would make the cut for all round versatility in your book?

DAN – Well, my Tele for a guitar, and I’ve got to go with the J20 for an amp. Its the strangest experience when you find the amp tone that just suits you. I always secretly loved it when in the past players would come up to me and tell me how much they enjoyed my sound, now, I couldn’t give a rats what anyone else thinks. I’m so happy every time I plug into the thing, and after playing it most nights for over a year, I still get excited when I’m setting up at a gig, knowing I’m going to hear it. If I never played another amp, I wouldn’t be bothered. As far as pedal are concerned,  I could live with just the Plosive Treble Booster and the LazyJ Cruiser. The Cruiser has been made for the amp, and thats how specific I like to get. Some pedals work better with some amps than others, and now I’m settled on my main amp I’m really tailoring the sound of my board to suit. So those 2, an old CE-1 chorus and a Analog Man modded Memory Man. lots of fun to be had with just those 4.

RockStarzUSA - Hypothetically the opportunity presents itself where you can complete an A-list team of musicians past or present to work with for a collaborative effort. Who would you desire to work with? 

DAN – I’m sort of living this dream a bit already. My favourite guitar player in the world is Dave Gregory from XTC. His playing influenced more than any other single musician, and I now play in Tin Spirits with Dave. After 3 years I still can’t believe that has happened. I would love to have Neil Finn on my resume. He and Andy Partridge are my favourite song writers ever. Would have loved to have stood in front of John Bonham’s drum kit for 10 minutes and just rock out with him. To be honest though, Tin Spirits is my dream band. I’m working with 3 of the most talented guys I’ve ever met, and we all just get on so well. That in itself is such a huge thing. I’m bald today because I’ve worked with immensely talented people in the past who created so much stress in my life. Finding these extraordinary musicians who have become some of my closest friends is a gift.

RockStarzUSA - Your tone reviews and hot pedals detail some great equipment. We live in perhaps a true golden age of boutique anything currently, whether that is guitars, amps, pedals, recording etc. With the global village truly emerging, talented & innovative artisans like yourself are enjoying true success. Where do you see the Musical Instrument Industry heading in 2012 and beyond? 

DAN – The vintage market is becoming increasingly exclusive, so players are looking for alternatives, and they are finding them in droves, but who knows where that is going. There are a great deal of very talented effect builders out there who are coming up with incredible stuff, so I guess it is ‘watch this space’. I do love watching it though, its very exciting. In my heart i’m just a pedal geek, I love discovering the sounds and seeing what these guys are coming up with,  The reason we don’t make effects as such is that there are so many incredible devices out there already, and I’m not going head to head with Strymon, or AnalogMan. We’ll make the gear that lets you use all these together.

RockStarzUSA - I recall a conversation we had with each other 2 years ago, and was impressed when you responded ‘I’ll just keep concentrating on what we’re doing’ in regards to my observation of other brands ‘borrowing’ your innovative concepts and rebadging them as their own ideas. Has anything changed since then?

DAN – Yeah, more people are ripping us off. Truth is, its been good for us. No one has been able to match us on audio quality or functionality and we have ended up with so many customers who have tried the other stuff and been disapointed. But sometimes its just so blatant, I mean, the Octaswitch… really? But we will just keep doing what we do, and keep doing it better than anyone. Here’s the thing, switching technology is WHAT WE DO. We’re not an effects manufacturer who has seen an opportunity in the market to make a few extra pounds (dollars). This entire thing is born from a passion verging on obsession with effects and how to get the most out of them. And it is this passion alone that drives the business forward. And there’s still so much we want to do, and there are so many possibilities and ideas for moving forward swimming around my head that I have trouble sleeping.

Dan's Office in Swindon, U.K

RockStarzUSA - TheGigRig is now a recognised WorldWide brand for musicians, what is your philosophy on branding? I’m sure your philosophy would carry equal merit to a non musical instrument brand. 

DAN – For me, branding is about legacy. It reflects the output and the careers of those who have put so much into it. I want TheGigRig to be an enduring brand, so to do that, It is imperative that everything that goes out with our name on it, is built to endure. I love it that TheGigRig is becoming synonymous when it comes to pedal board switching.

RockStarzUSA - After your recent 4 day episode involving your child, are you going to start designing an innovative solution for the key industry? hahaha

DAN – Honestly, who am I without my keys? I am no one, I don’t exist.

RockStarzUSA - Last month I visited with Rooster of Trailer-Trash pedalboards based in Denver. I saw a very high, no make that massive profile artist pedalboard he was working on. We conversed about the limitations of promoting this on the web, due to a non co-operatve artist allowing their name to be used. Has your assistance been requested from high profile artists where you’ve had to work with anonymity or NDA (non disclosure agreement) but you’ve thought I’d love to tell people I worked on, or have my products used on Artist A or Artist B’s rigs? 

DAN - I don’t really have this issue. Up till now I’ve only personally put boards together for friends such as Paul Stacey when he was touring with the Finn Brothers, Paul Turner from Jamiroquai, and Aziz Ibrahim when he was playing with Steven Wilson plus a few others. I have been contacted by some very high profile artists and there are some things I’m working on, but generally we supply the gear to their techs who put the things together. I am going to start doing more custom builds soon which should be fun, besides, sleep is over rated.

RockStarzUSA - It’s now 2017. Where would you like to be in your career at this point in time?

DAN – Good question. I know what our potential is as a company. We have some amazing people with so many exciting things happening in the future. 2017 I want TheGigRig to be THE destination for anyone needing pedalboard and effect integration solutions. TheGigRig on every pro/semi pro pedalboard, thats the dream.

The Boss, Dan, with a new build.

RockStarzUSA - Thanks for your time Dan!

DAN – Thank you Fletch for the interview, and best of luck with RockStarzUSA.com

You can Visit Dan’s Wide World of FX solutions @ www.TheGigRig.com

RockStarzUSA – You’re now 5 decades strong in your music industry involvement, when you think of the early days to where the Music Industry in general is now, what are your observations? Have we evolved or is it the more things change, the more things stay the same, or both?

Greg – Actually it has changed at the business level only. The market has shrunk (in music products) but this is to be expected over 20 + years as new things to get the attention have succeeded. The games industry is one of them. As for the “music” – it is still strong, great songs and great artists are always evolving – and creators will always create (without all the large sums of $ being received).

RockStarzUSA - Can you pinpoint that moment in your own musical development when you realized ‘hang on a minute, I could do music as a career’?

Greg – Yes – when I could earn enough to buy a new car, bass rig and tour. I was 17. The maths worked and we left Tasmania to the promised land (Queensland, Australia) playing 4 nights a week and never having to do a day job. It was all great fun.

RockStarzUSA - You worked both retail and wholesale in Australia. With the internet utterly dominating everyday life, and musicians gravitating towards ebay, YouTube, gear forums causing the global village to become a greater reality more than ever, how do you see the role of the retailer, and or wholesaler shifting in the typically luxury/higher end markets of the Musical Instrument Industry?

Greg – I think that retail in music products has taken a huge hit. The internet has been a huge game changer. It is a shame it is all about price, however, when music makers and musicians are doing it tough then that is what we get. An indutry where there are very few winners (there are some I might add still).

RockStarzUSA - RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) graphs of music consumption pessimistically speak volumes in regard to the state of the industry monetarily. We have seen music consumption shift dramatically from support to an entitlement mentality, where accessing an artists music illegally is done without any moral objection, and little to no penalty for doing so. Even established regional artists are resigning themselves to live performance & merchandise in terms of monetizing their art, and foregoing recorded works sales. Where do you see the future?

Greg – Well a crystal ball I do not have (or anyone for that matter), and with these USA issues in the Senate and The House of Reps, who knows where it will all go (SOPA). So as musicians try to buy the gear to make the music at the cheapest price, hence the music lovers want to hear music and not reward the creators (free, free, free). So this is a reality and the “cat is out of the bag”. At least Apple put some structure around it all and the record industry didn’t when they had the chance with Napster.

RockStarzUSA - What is the vibe on the Industry from your peers, are they optimistic, pessimistic?

Greg – Always optimistic. Most are still bashing their heads, however, it is the same in any creative endeavor (think Walt Disney, etc). Music will NEVER die – it just re invents itself how to filter into our lives. ( I love the idea that Walk Off The Earth did on YOU Tube of GOTYE – Australian artist – song – it is up to 13 million hits now – that is impressive – hope they can monetise this opportunity.)

RockStarzUSA - If you were to advise someone wanting to enter the Music Industry in 2012, what is your general philosophy now after such personal longevity in the industry?

Greg – IF you able to understand Intellectual Property and the laws surrounding Copyright then you can self manage a successful career. Well in saying that – you must also be able to create new material, unique and different. You must look back and be inspired what has come before, then forget it all. In terms of popular music careers, it is about finding your niche. Owning that niche as much as you can. However it also knowing you have to spend the time to build a strong “body of works” and have strong and ethical business skills. Of course being a nice person helps and investing in the marketing is as important as the investment in the gear, recording and touring. But for a “musician” – just be reliable, consistent and follow YOUR heart with the music that resonates with you. If you create new music and it resonates with a tribe and they “pay” for the “value” you have brought to the world.

RockStarzUSA - Essentially you spearheaded the Weekend Warrior concept in Australia that rejuvenated music recreation for adults, and further developed other recreational music making opportunities with the Government. How did these experiences affect your life?

Greg – It was not only life changing for me, personally, it was creating new pathways and connections for Baby Boomers and then later, younger people too. The key ingredient was the F – U – N element. It created healthy, safe, performance opportunites where you were not “judged” but encouraged to “have a go” and be an active music maker. Recreation is a word based on Latin “receato” which means, health. Weekend Warriors was about the participants well being to find their create self. Whilst creating these opportunities it allowed for me to learn, explore and grow spiritually. Being selfless and creating the platforms for others to have a good time is so rewarding.

RockStarzUSA -  you think retailers are going to have to transcend their traditional rold of gear supplier to something more connected? Or do you think even the Weekend Warrior types will become more price sensitive over loyalty?

Greg – I think that the industry has been so price competitive for so long that even Warriors know the game. Suppliers move boxes, they are just logistics experts – they actually don’t give a toss… Loyalty is a great thing until someone wants to spend money…..

RockStarzUSA - You’ve seen many artists including Savage Garden, Keith Urban, Sunk Loto enjoy varying degrees of success, excess & failure. What sage wisdom would you offer an artist who essentially has the right package, songs, looks, talent, business smarts, but lack that edge to become standout in the giant pool of talent all looking for that ‘break’, how would you advise them in todays market?

Greg – shave your head and put an amazing tattoo on it… I can answer no 8 more seriously….. What i am trying to say – there is no right or wrong formula. Sometimes it is the combination of getting not only the right people in your band or around you like a great manager, right publisher, right venues, right producer, right promotion, and tell a good story – people are fascinated with a good story. Oh – and your music must “hit the mark” and sound quality. Once you enter “the Game” you are competing with the “real world” and if your music is “like” someone else – then you have just become their competitor – so be slightly different ot VERY different. Think of KISS and SLIPKNOT as two who went the extreme road to get attention above the clutter. Think Lady Gaga or Madonna, Metallica, U2 or Michael Jackson …. extremes I know – but they do push the boundaries and they “own” their brand.

RockStarzUSA - The karma of the Universe wishes to honor your extensive efforts for musical enjoyment you’ve blessed others with in the form of assembling an A-list team of musicians past or present to work with for a collaborative effort to Who would be ‘in your band‘? 

Greg – Bass, Jaco Pastorius, Vocals, Stevie Wonder with Adele, Guitar, Jeff Beck and Eric Johnston and drums, Steve Gadd with Qunicy Jones on keys and the Earth, Wind and Fire horn section. (my funk days still resonating)

RockStarzUSA  - What new artists are exciting you over the last year? Do you still look to discover new fresh artists, or music genres, and what artists from yesteryear do you still enjoy listening to frequently?

Greg – I love new music and old across a range of genres. I love to explore a range of diversity in music. More recently I have enjoyed the broader sweep of World Music and particularly African, Latin American and Chinese. Artists like Angélique Kidjo, The Gypsy Kings and artists on Café del Mar, Buddah Bar are fresh and new. Still love early Motown and Stax artists and one who sticks out is The Dramatics with their version of Me and Mrs Jones (just awesome vocals) along with Take Six, Weather Report and Chick Corea and a sprinkle of Uriah Heap.

RockStarzUSA  - I recall about 15 years ago there was so much talent bursting out from Brisbane alone, labels such as the next Seattle were heard in the scene with acts like Pangaea, Powderfinger, Regurgitator and many more offering refreshingly new original sounds. Does Brisbane still have that same bonded subculture, and is there a potential for Brisbane to be ‘on the map’? 

Greg – About five years ago (2007) I went along to a launch of an event that the local Arts Minister was speaking. He said that Brisbane had been chosen by Billboard magazine as one of the top “hotspots in the world” for new emerging music.http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/sunday-mail/sweet-sound-of-success/story-e6frep2o-1111112899350

This was a surprise to me as I had truly believed that Brisbane had oodles of talent since the early ’90′s and not many believed me then. We went on to develop some unity, we formed an industry body that represented the contemporary music scene in the State of Queensland (QMusic) and it has been going for almost 20 years and is now the largest funded Arts organisation in Queensland and holds two major activities a year, Big Sound and QSongs for emerging talent. The standard of artists has improved some what over the years and there are so many that I have almost lost touch with ‘who’s doing what with who” although it seems to be humming along nicely.

RockStarzUSA - You have worked with thousands of Musical Instrument brands over the years, which one still instantly stands out for you in terms of them being a musically positive force?

Greg – I see Fender still being a force and the growth of Behringer has been amazing – alongside Garage band and Protools. 

RockStarzUSA  - Apple have successfully created products we couldn’t live without, before we knew we couldn’t live without them. We both worked together 11 years ago when Line 6 swept through the Industry with ‘physical modelling’ Do you see any Musical Instrument brand thinking as revolutionary as Apple currently? 

Greg – I have been out of touch for 18 months, there are so many brands now chomping for attention. a bit like the artists and bands themselves. The story (or myth) of Line 6 is what helped it get noticed through the clutter of brands. The lesson is that creating something that “fascinates peoples minds” with a great story helps propel momentum and energy for the band, the brand the product. Mind you, the product must still stand up to the real world.

RockStarzUSA - You’re a legend in brand building, what are your most important observations in successful brand building?

Greg – The brand is like a personality. It has a tone and speaks in a language that resonates with you (the market place) or not. It is being authentic and true to your heart – then people can feel when a brand is genuine or not. A brand is more than a logo, although that symbol is the sign that embodies the core values of that brand. It is powerful and of course we as humans love symbols and their meanings -and we love a good story to go along with it (sounds like a great Philosophy lesson) 

RockStarzUSA - Thanks for your time Greg!

Greg – You’re a gentleman & a scholar fletch.

The big 3 brands in Electric Guitar are Fender, Gibson and Ibanez, all perenially popular. They make great guitars that meet the masses. I was an Australian Ibanez endorsee during ‘97-’98 myself and still appreciate their craftsmanship, My number 1 guitar of choice today however is easy to identify, my Californian custom Shop Suhr. The name may not be instantly recognizable to the typical player-outside of California at least, but this is a very very highly regarded guitar maker, known to many high profile guitarists ‘guitarists’. (This is the guitar featured on the top banner on every page on this website).

Suhr truly defines the word ‘customshop’ They are not limited to guitars however, they also manufacture great pedals and amplifiers.

My discovery of Suhr, was first via way of Mark knopfler of Dire Straits, who is very highly regarded for his tone and ability on guitar. Mark owns original Pensa-Suhr guitars, made by the duo of Rudy Pensa, and John Suhr. John eventually branched out and formed Suhr Guitars. I was in St Louis in October 2008, and happened to be in a boutique music store and came across their Suhr section of 5-6 models. I tried several out, noting they were nice and played well, but not quite earth shattering…. then I pulled down the green guitar you see now, at the top of the site here…. I had never before picked up a guitar and had that electric shock type situation that some other guitarists detail, but this was the occasion. The rest as they say was history.

My model has what is called an Even vintage c shape neck, very closely modelled after the Fender ’62 reissue neck. The tone is just stunning, vintage, and full, with warm overtones, but avoiding muddiness. The guitar is very well balanced. The 10-14 neck radius makes it incredibly comfortable on your hand with a lovely tongue oil neck to make movement along the neck very easy. Overall a dream guitar and achieving that strat sound but with, in my opinion, much better playability that a Stratocaster (with the exception of the Fullerton 62 reissues from 1982/1983)

I recently saw an ad for Washington Music in a national magazine that had the following in part . It reads as follows…..

In the 1960’s we heard single coil pickups, curly cables, fuzz pedals and the British Invasion

In the 1970’s we saw bell bottoms, platform shoes, humbuckers and full stacks

In the 1980’s we experienced locking tremolo’s, pointy headstocks, spandex and hairspray

In the 1990’s brought us flannel, Rap-Rock, refigerator sized racks and MIDI switching

In the new millenium

it’s all about boutique tube amps, true bypass, drop tuning and figured maple

The ad resonated with me, because I could identify with the 80’s the 90’s and the current decade of music and music related fads or innovations. I have passionately been researching, developing, listening and further redeveloping my guitar rig in order to dial in what I believe is a truly world class tone. Here are a couple of pedals I cannot live without.

RETRO-SONIC CHORUS   The Roland CE-1 made in 1976 is THE chorus pedal, to chorus, what the Grey Ross is to compressor pedals. The downside is that they cost a fortune, take up a lot of pedal board real estate and now that it is pushing past 30 years, reliability can be a darn thing…… Along comes the Retro-Sonic Chors/Vibe pedal, and not only does it NAIL the CE-1 tone perfectly, but the Vibe is simply stunning. Almost vintage tube driven organ in quality. This pedal is a no brainer. Everything it touches turns to gold. End of story and discussion. You simply cannot say anything negative about this pedal. The last A/B I did was against the Option 5 Destination Rotation, a wonderful pedal that is different in some respects, but dialing these pedals in that same fast shimmering vibe pulse sound… well, the Option 5 is for sale, the Retro-Sonic stays for yet another day.

This pedal is true bypass, meaning that when not engaged in your signal path, do not color your tone, they become like a phantom in your signal chain. Yes these pedals all cost more than the typical Boss effects pedal, but deservedly so. They flat out sound better in my opinion. In my quest for tone, price was not an issue, just the tone. The Keeley comp goes for approximately double the price of the cmatmods version, yet my ears don’t lie, the cmatmods is just better (yes a shootout side by side was performed)

Sebatron is a brand name unfamiliar to most in the consumer/prosumer Pro-audio community. Hailing from my former homeland of Australia, Sebatron do however, find themselves highly regarded in the professional/boutique community.

MIC PRE EDUCATION

Sebatron specialize in high quality mic preamps. To the uninitiated, a mic preamp is simply a preamplifier for the weak signals that come from microphones.  The preamplifier boosts the signal to a standard line level, which all recorders can capture.

Comparing a recording from the 1950′s to recordings produced today yields a giant difference in audio quality and listening pleasure. While  recording techniques, mastering and production have all aided the improvement of recorded music, a mic preamp plays a pivotal role in this area. If the recording runs through a poor quality/low level preamplifier, the end result is that the instruments/voices recorded will sound sterile, one dimensional and lifeless. Having the microphone run through a high quality preamplifier is the first step in capturing a great recording.

All of my recordings run through my Presonus StudioLive FireWire mixer. The StudioLive console offer the very acceptable Xmax pres which are certainly capable. Being a guitarist, and having spent tens of thousands of hours over the last 21 years listening critically to audio, especially in relation to the role of vacuum tubes in guitar amplifiers, caused me to immediately note that the Xmax pre’s are very clean, yet lacking in character. I also detect a metallic quality in the very high frequency range around 12Khz and above, which is unappealing.

Sebatron VMP-2000e-VU

PERSONAL APPLICATION

I have tried many stand alone mic pre’s and I believe I have found a nice balance in between the high quality-yet budget friendly price range with Sebatron. I currently use their VMP-1000e-VU single channel all tube preamp to run my guitar and vocal tracks through. For guitar I run through a Diamond Compressor into the Sebatron as a D.I to my Fractal Audio Axe-Fx preamp, which runs direct to the StudioLive line inputs fed FireWire to the computer. Vocals are captured on my sE Electronics Gemini II LDC tube microphone running direct to the Sebatron into the Presonus.

Sebatron literature will offer the following regarding the VMP series of mic pre’s

Each VMP channel consists of

• a transformer balanced microphone input for reliability, ease of use and sound quality
• individual phantom power with LED indication
• DI for direct instrument or line input
• passive switchable EQ for the extreme high and low registers – very practical when tracking
• a 12AT7 vacuum tube run at a proper high tension providing all of the active gain
• switchable PAD control which varies negative feedback around the valve, controlling colour
• solid state, discrete Class A output stage, powered by a high voltage rail for superior headroom and transient response
• switchable output phase
• XLR and TRS balanced outputs

Front View Sebatron VMP-2000e-VU

As I have sculpted my guitar tone I’ve used amplifiers made by Fender, Marshall, Mesa Boogie, Divided by 13, Diezel, and  Bogner to name a handful. I’ve used all manner of configurations ranging from small combo’s to massive full stacks.

Prior to using the Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue (BDRI), reviewed here today, I had been using a combination of two amps made by another Californian amp manufacturer, Divided by 13, with their FTR-37  and RSA-23 models. As my needs required buying a line array P.A system, I needed to free up cash flow, and thus the reason for selling these amps. The void created by these sales, needed to be addressed with an amplifier that could closely capture the delicious tones from my D13′s, yet do so, at a much reduced cost of the D13′s $7,000 investment. This is important to provide this background information in my review, as this better qualifies how and why I came to choose the Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue.

While the Fender has a street price 1/10th of my D13 setup, and boasting the famous 6L6 tube design also featured in my FTR-37 configuration, I still needed to address the fact that I loved the overdriven tones I coaxed out of my RSA-23 (with pedals in front) which is designed around KT88 tubes. The spongy, bubbly sound of 6L6′s is wonderful for clean tones, however beyond all but the most basic clipping tones the sound becomes too confused and undefined for real work with overdrive and ‘dirt’ pedals. Again, the Fender BDRI addressed my needs by way of their more focused ‘drive’ channel on the amp, which captures a more urgent growl than the warm rounded overtones of the 1st channel.

On its own the Fender BDRI produces a great workingman’s guitar sound, however coupling the 1×12″ enclosure Fender offers as a compliment to the BDRI creates a more complex, layered sound, that sings with a greater authority. In particular my typical ‘Nashville’ sound (broken thru driven dirt sounds) started to drive through while still retaining that Fender amp spank.

My main guitar is a custom shop Suhr Classic series ‘strat style’ guitar designed reminiscent of the Fender ’62 reissue Strat vein. With my drive pedals running front end I am able to achieve excellent results ranging from Eric Clapton smooth cleans , Eric Johnson singing sustains, Brent Mason spank with just the change of a pedal.

The amp features a shared 3 band eq (B, M, T) and it is very versatile, I have mine set as follows (B=8.2, M=6.8, T=7.2) I run my Suhr with the tone dials set around 7.5 to smooth out some of the bright bite inherent of the amps design. The amp also features a presence knob which I have set around 7.6 to allow the amp to remain focused-though historically, I am not a fan of amps that utilize a presence feature. The master volume knob is running right around 6.2 while I back off the clean and drive channels to just around 1.

To detail the weak spots of the amp, I would limit this to two aspects. The amplifier is extremely sensitive to volume increase with a massive jump from 1-2 on the either the volume or drive dials. My second issue relates to the built-in Accutronics Spring reverb. Beyond the 2 setting the amp washes out. Thankfully the amp does offer an effects loop which is where I patch in my reverb externally via way of the Fractal Audio Axe-Fx. The quality of effects in the Axe-Fx are easily on par with Eventide and Lexicon. I personally favor varieties of hall reverbs rather than ‘Spring’ reverbs. I simply bypass the amp and cab aspects of the Axe-Fx on a carbon copy of my 20 direct to desk studio patches, and interface it with the Fender BDRI for some truly incredible results.

Doing a simple cost benefit ratio with my former Divided by 13 rig heavily sides with the Fender. While the D13′s tone is more appealing, as would be expected, the simple fact is that investing 1/10th of the funds into this amp creates a sound that is within 15% of the territory of my previous D13′s. If Fender were to address the amps overall volume sensitivity, and made the reverb more useable, the amp would be an incredible amplifier in the $700 price range. As it stands, I would give the Fender an 8.5/10 in my opinion.

I am in the process of swapping out the stock speakers and replacing them with a Celestion Alnico Blues 15w speaker, and a Celestion 70th anniversary G12H30 30w speaker in the combo and enclosure respectively. With a further $400 investment, the amplifier will more than likely yield results narrowing that gap from it to the D13′s to within single digit percentages. -Fletch

Click here to see more of Fletch’s pedalboards and rigs galleries

Happy New Year! Recently, Mouse, my wife found a piece of paper folded up inside one of her books. It was a goal setting list I compiled from 2007. As we looked, there were some tick marks, but at least a dozen remained unchecked. Interestingly, every goal had actually been achieved in 2007. While it was a surprise to Mouse, it wasn’t a surprise to me, as I’ve set goals weekly, monthly & yearly goals for at least 15 years now. Oh yes, various life curve balls have been thrown at me, and taken me down unexpected paths during that time, as I’m sure you have experienced too, though the goal posts shift from time to time, keeping our eyes on the goal does not have to shift.

I’m fortunate to work with many serious music career minded students, who seek my guidance in developing their raw talents towards rewarding careers in the Music Industry. Though I’ve helped numerous students successfully navigate their way to studying music at College, one student, Dexter actually successfully landed a placement at the exclusive Berklee College of Music in Boston. Dexter informed me that, of the 3,000 auditions held in various countries, 80 places were available. Dexter’s goal was realized after a long process of successful measured results.

This is a prime motivating picture for me weekly.

1. Well formed Goal Statements

The Goal Statement forms the basis for the entire process so careful attention should be placed on formulating a clear and accurate goal statement. A good way to remember how a goal statement should be defined is the old S.M.A.R.T. acronym used by many experts in goal setting. SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic & Time and Resource Constrained

The Goal should be specific enough so that we know exactly what we are striving for, measurable so we can tell exactly when the goal has been reached, action-oriented to indicate an activity that will produce results, realistic in that it is practical and can be achieved, and time and resources constrained meaning that it has a definite deadline for completion and realizes limited availability of resources. The goal statement “Increase sales 25% by the end of the fiscal year without increasing advertising spending” is an example that follows these rules.

2. Breaking down Goals into manageable Steps

If you were to watch a Captain go about his duties on a cruise ship you would note he breaks down the overall cruise into manageable steps. He cannot simply point in the direction of The Bahamas and say this looks about right, see you there in 5 days. He takes measurements, and charts the entire course to ensure that should situations arise that require a new course of action, that he has the time, energy and resources available to re-chart the course that still allows success. 

3. Motivation and Commitment

Paul Christenbury writes: Motivation and commitment are what make us strive to achievement. They give us the push, desire, and resolve to complete all of the other steps in the Goal process. This motivation can be obtained by developing a statement that creates a high level of emotion and energy that guarantees achievement. Commitment is what sets us on direct course to reach our goals and creates costly negative consequences for failure.

4. Reminders and Keeping on Track

Reaching our goals requires persistence and regular attention. We need some sort of system to keep us reminded and accountable. MyGoalManager.com uses a combination reminder emails, calendars, and reports to keep users organized and on track. If some accountability system is not used then we are likely to lose sight and fail.

5. Frequent Review and Re-assessment

Goal Setting is definitely an ongoing process that is accomplished over time. When we first sit down and start to define goals it can seem like a difficult and daunting task but over time it begins to get much easier. Patience is required. All goals due in the next year should be reviewed at least once a week and daily if possible. The great thing about frequent review is that this forces us to make big decisions and determine priorities in our life. We should keep watch for goals that aren’t being achieved on time or for goals on which we keep extending the deadline.

Each week I invest a minimum of 80+ hours into RockStarzUSA.com, and my own musical pursuits to be the best I can be. The only priorities I place above my career is my best friend, Mouse,  & my relationship with Jesus. The picture above encapsulates my work philosophy.

The best way I sum up my own work ethic & inspire you with a parting thought is this. This article was written November 15th 2011 at 6:46am & was scheduled for publication months in advance. Though it is fresh for you, by the time you read this I will already be writing articles for April/May 2012…..

We came across this video of the homeless young man who caused tears to flow and smiles to burst forth on the TV show ‘Korea’s got talent’ and concede, that we too, were not able to watch without shedding a tear ourselves.

Music truly is a universal language, and those gifted with ability can speak volumes without the need of interpreters, marketing or gimmicks to capture our heart, mind & soul. He is a humble young man, possessing a huge talent, and his story has been intensely investigated by the Korean media, and found to be completely truthful.

What are you doing with the talent and abilities you have? Are you excelling at what you love to do? Are there obstacles in your way? Regardless of your trying circumstances, your passion will make a way, and one day you too could stand before kings with your gift, exactly as this young man has done.

His story is just so inspiring that we wanted to give you an opportunity to be inspired too. Enjoy!